The Indian SUV segment is highly popular, and the compact SUV models are all the more in demand. Considering this lucrative market, all the car manufacturers in India are busy preparing their own mini SUVs. This is all the more true now, as the Indian car market is getting back to its high growth phase after a two year long market slowdown. The slump is expected to be totally eradicated with huge sales volumes in the upcoming peak festive season this year which is starting from the end of this month and will last till October. Taking advantage of this auspicious time for new car launches, many car makers are introducing new or refreshed cars. Renault India is also doing the same, and it is doing so with its hugely popular Duster SUV.

Renault India has now officially announced the launch of the new Duster All Wheel Drive version in the country on 24th of September, 2014 just a day before Navratri starts and few days before Durga Puja. The new Renault Duster AWD (all wheel drive) version has been speculated to launch soon for quite some time, though its exact launch date was not known earlier. The very popular Renault Duster compact SUV is a successful model in India and its new AWD version would offer greater off-road capabilities and a sturdier drive. The AWD version of the Duster is expected to boost the SUV’s sales further.

The upcoming new Renault Duster AWD will be based on the RxZ diesel model trim, and it will be positioned as the top of the line variant among the diesel variants. Under the hood, the new Duster AWD or 4×4 will be powered by the same 1.5 litre K9K diesel motor which is capable of delivering a max power output of 108.5 bhp and 248 Nm of peak torque. The generated power will be transmitted to the vehicle`s all four wheels in equal proportions through an efficient 6 speed manual transmission gearbox.

The currently available Renault Duster RxZ is already a pretty feature rich variant, and as the new All 4 Wheel Drive version will be will be based on the RxZ, it will obviously come packed with all the features that are already offered in the RxZ model trim. The Renault Duster AWD is not a facelifted model and thus, apart from the 4×4 drive system, it will not come with any other changes. The new Duster AWD compact SUV will look exactly the same both on the outside as well as on the inside, as its other 2 wheel drive counterparts that are already available for sale in India.

As per reports the French car manufacturer is also working on a new refreshed version of its popular Duster SUV. The speculated Renault Duster facelift model is expected to be launched in early 2015. However, there is no official confirmation about it from Renault as yet.

The All Wheel Drive Duster is ready to take on any challenge thrown at it and you wouldn’t like to be a passenger in it. Check this video to find out the reason –